A devastating fire at the Wang Fuk Court housing complex in Hong Kong has led to at least 44 confirmed deaths, with nearly 300 residents reported missing. Authorities are investigating the incident as they point to potential negligence by a construction company that reportedly used unsafe materials during maintenance work. The fire, which erupted on the afternoon of March 6, 2024, has raised serious concerns about building safety regulations in the densely populated area.
Firefighters have faced significant challenges in their rescue efforts, battling intense heat and thick smoke to reach residents potentially trapped on the upper floors of the complex. By Thursday morning, authorities announced that they had managed to bring the fire under control in four of the seven blocks, although flames continued to rage in others, nearly 22 hours after the initial outbreak.
According to Eileen Chung, a superintendent with the Hong Kong police, the investigation has revealed that the construction firm responsible for maintenance may have acted with gross negligence. Investigators discovered that some windows in an unaffected building were sealed with foam, a practice that could have exacerbated the fire’s spread. “We have reason to believe that the company’s responsible parties were grossly negligent, which led to this accident and caused the fire to spread uncontrollably,” Chung stated.
In connection with the incident, three individuals associated with the construction firm, including two directors and an engineering consultant, have been arrested on suspicion of manslaughter. Police have also searched the building maintenance company’s premises, seizing documents related to the Wang Fuk Court.
The housing complex, located in the northern Tai Po district, contains approximately 2,000 apartments and is home to over 4,600 residents. This tragedy marks the highest death toll in a Hong Kong fire since 1948, when a warehouse blaze claimed 176 lives.
As rescue operations continue, John Lee, the Chief Executive of Hong Kong, emphasized the government’s priorities: extinguishing the fire, supporting the injured, and aiding recovery efforts. “The priority is to extinguish the fire and rescue the residents who are trapped. The second is to support the injured. The third is to support and recover. Then, we’ll launch a thorough investigation,” he told reporters.
With 45 individuals now hospitalized in critical condition and 279 residents uncontactable, the emotional toll on the community is profound. Approximately 900 people have sought refuge in eight shelters set up in response to the crisis.
The situation has drawn comparisons to the Grenfell Tower fire in London in 2017, which resulted in 72 fatalities. The Grenfell tragedy was similarly attributed to the use of flammable cladding and regulatory failures. In a show of solidarity, the survivors’ group Grenfell United expressed their condolences on social media, stating, “Our hearts go out to all those affected by the horrific fire in Hong Kong.”
On the mainland, Chinese President Xi Jinping has called for an “all-out effort” to extinguish the fire and minimize casualties. The Hong Kong government has been in the process of phasing out bamboo scaffolding, a traditional construction method, since March 2024, citing safety concerns after multiple fatalities among scaffolders in recent years.
Residents have voiced their outrage on social media, attributing the fire’s severity to negligence and cost-cutting by the construction firm. As investigations proceed, the focus remains on preventing such tragedies in the future and ensuring the safety of vulnerable communities.
